


plenty to be thankful for

by nerdytardis



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Candlenights, Families of Choice, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Shopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 10:23:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13121772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdytardis/pseuds/nerdytardis
Summary: Angus enlists the help of Taako and Lup to find a Candlenights' present for Magnus, and ends up finding something much more important along the way.A very fluffy bit of holiday cheer for the 2017 TAZ Secret Santa exchange





	plenty to be thankful for

**Author's Note:**

> this is my taz secret santa gift for @gaycells on tumblr! i hope you enjoy it!!
> 
> the title is from the song "i've got plenty to be thankful for" in the musical Holiday Inn  
> (and sorry if you find any mistakes i missed lmao)

“You want me to do what?”

Angus blinked up at Taako through his glasses, sure that he had been clear the first time. 

“I want to get Magnus something special for Candlenights and was wondering if you would help?”  His voice got a little higher pitched at the end, as the uncertainty grew more pronounced. 

Taako raised a perfect eyebrow at him, obviously intrigued.  “What did you have in mind?”

“That’s the thing,” Angus said, “I can’t think of anything good enough.”

Taako made a noise and came around to the front of his desk, leaning against it like a chair.  “Magnus is literally the easiest person to shop for.  You could get him a half-eaten sandwich and he’d still love it.”

Angus shrugged.  “I guess you’re right, I just—” He shrugged again, looking away from Taako, “I wanted to get him something _special_.”

For a moment, Taako looked like he might interject another snappy comment, but then he abruptly closed his mouth and waited, leaning back into his desk. 

“Magnus took me in, after everything,” Angus continued, looking down at the cap in his hands and kneading the fabric between his hands, “And I want to show him how grateful I am.”

Taako made a softer noise, and Angus looked up quickly enough to catch the little furrow that had formed between his brows.  While it was gone in an instant, Angus was too good of a detective to miss it. 

“Sure small-fry,” Taako said, standing up abruptly, and then whirling around the room to grab his cloak and his purse, “Let’s go find a present.”

Angus perked up, putting his cap firming back on his head.  “Thank you sir!”

“Don’t worry about it kid.” Taako patted him on the head as he lead the way out into the hall.  They ducked into one of the other offices on the way out, Taako waving to all the people in the meeting he was probably supposed to be at.  “I’m taking the day off, Happy Candlenights and all that jazz.”

Ren barely looked up from her work, just grinned and waved her hand towards the door, “Have fun!”

With one more swirl of his cloak, Taako was headed for the door at the other end of the hall, already hauling it open as Angus caught up with him.  Soon they were stepping down into the streets of Neverwinter, which, despite its name, still got into the winter spirit. 

Candlenights decorations were all around; candles in every store front and shrubs for sale on every corner.  The city itself rarely got more than a dusting of snow, but that didn’t stop some mages from conjuring frosted windows and snowy roofs. 

Angus loved this time of year.  The city came alive with light and song; even from the highest points in the tallest buildings, you could hear the jingle of bells and warm songs that spread across the streets.

“First, we need to get ourselves an expert.”

Angus looked up at Taako quizzically, “I would have thought you were an expert, after knowing each other for so long.”

“True.” Taako tipped his hat a little towards Angus, “But I know someone who is much better at gift giving than me.”

They ducked into a quiet side street, and Taako pulled out his stone of far speech, muttering to it for a moment to get the right connection.  The stone lit up in Taako’s hand, a deep red instead of the normal blueish tone. 

“You’ve reached the older twin,” Lup said, the stone glowing in time with her words, “And how can I help you today?”

“We both know I’m the older one.” Taako said, still smiling, even as his huffed. 

“Sure.” Lup said, a smirk obvious in her voice before leveling out, “What’s up?

“We need some help—”

Barry’s groan in the background was so loud even Angus could hear it. 

“Don’t get your jeans in a twist Barold,” Taako said, “We’re just trying to get Magnus a Candlenights’ present.”

 “Whose we?” Lup asked, at the same time Barry’s voice became much louder and clearer: “Please, dear god, tell Merle to just buy something this year.”

Ignoring Barry with a smirk, Taako said, “Me and Angnes.”

There was a sudden, loud ripping noise behind them, but neither jumped.  The sound of a reaper appearing had become commonplace in both their lives at this point.  The heels of her boots clicked against the stone street, as Lup stepped into their plane.

“How could I resist my favorite boy detective?” she asked, her cloak billowing around her as the fold in space-time closed with another loud ripping sound.

“What about me?” Taako asked indignantly, placing one hand on his chest. 

Lup brought a finger to her chin and pretended to consider for a moment, before shaking her head and waving a hand at him.  “I see you all the time.” She said with a grin, “I feel like I never get to see Angus anymore.”  She looked down at him, “How’s school my dude?”

Angus grinned.  “It’s going very well, though,” he glanced over to where Taako was still standing, “None of my new teachers are as interesting as Taako.”

“Good.” Lup said, smirking. 

“Which part?” Taako asked, hands on his hips and matching smirk on his face.

“Both.” She said, walking over to give Taako a quick hug, “Not that your ego needs it.”

“Thanks.” He said, before they separated. 

Taako’s voice may have been sarcastic, but the look on his face was soft as he took an extra moment to watch his sister—like he was still shocked at her being here.  Angus almost looked away, but the moment was over too quickly; Taako took another step back and clapped his hands together. 

“The mission is to find the perfect Candlenights gift for Magnus.  Do you accept?”

Lup’s grin grew more pointed, as she looked to Angus and said, “Let’s do this.”

Trying to keep up with the twins’ long legs was even harder the second they went into shopping mode.  Flitting between clothes that they wanted, stupid things they could get Barry or Merle, and stuff that Magnus might actually want, the twins were somehow both hyper-focused and everywhere all at once.

Luckily, Angus had already had some practice getting used to this.  From the first time that Lup decided to take him shopping, he had been training himself in keeping up with their antics.  He was never one to let himself get left behind.

“Holy shit, look at this one Lulu.” Taako held up a pair of floral-patterned bedazzled jeans, “We _cannot_ let this one go.”

Lup cackled at the sight from across the room, before shaking her head and going back to sifting through the bin of ties in front of her. 

“Do you really think Magnus would want a tie?  I’ve never seen him wear one.” Angus asked, looked skeptically at the purple striped one in his hands.

“That’s why he needs one.” Lup said, straightening up to admire a blue patterned one that she had pulled out from the bottom.  “And, as I’ve been trying to convince him for years, he’d look good all dressed up.”

Angus nodded thoughtfully, and then laid the tie back on top of the pile.  “I don’t know.  I was thinking something more...”  Lup put down her own tie and waited for him to find the right word.  When nothing came, he sighed, frustrated at the unusual amount of trouble this was giving him.

“Don’t worry.” She said, patting him softly on the shoulder, “We’ll find something.”

They tried a few more stores, but nothing seemed right.  Everything was just too simple, too frivolous. 

“Well kid, I don’t know what to say.” Taako said, flopping down next to Angus on a bench outside Neverwinter’s Fantasy Mall.  The elf’s own shopping bags sat around them, full of Candlenights gifts for himself and everyone else. 

Lup was standing in front of the bench, chewing her lip in thought.  “How about you make him something?”  Angus looked up at her, “Then it would be unique, and more personal.”

Angus nodded, the gears in his brain turning.  It made sense.  He wanted it to be a special gift, a way to say thank you for all that Magnus had done for him, and the only way to really capture that would be in something he made himself. 

“Hey,” Taako said, poking him in the shoulder with one of his painted nails, “We could help you cook something for him.”

“Yeah.” Lup chimed in, the idea growing between them, “We know all his favorites.”

Angus was nodded again, with more conviction this time.  “Okay.”

“We’ll meet up at my house the morning before the party, and bake him something.” Taako said, “Trust me Ango, Magnus will love anything if you make it yourself.”

“He is sentimental like that.” Lup added.

“Pan knows,” Taako groaned, “he’ll probably cry and everything.”

Pointed her own manicured finger towards Taako, Lup grinned, “Then Lucretia will get weepy.”

“And Barold is terrible at holding anything back—They are all such a mess.”

Lup brought her hand back, resting it on her hip.  “Because you’re so stoic.”

Taako huffed and sat up, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Rolling her eyes, Lup only managed to open her mouth before Taako fully stood up and cut her off.  “Friday morning then?” Taako asked, ignoring the way that Lup was smirking at him.

“I’ll be there Sir.” Angus said, “Thank you so much for this.”

“Don’t worry about it kiddo.” Taako said, before turning and walking down the street with Lup carrying his purse, their cloaks swirling up behind them in a way that was far too perfect. 

While Angus was now alone on the bench, watching the people walk by in their holiday hats and scarves, he felt better than he had all week.  The anxiousness in his chest was finally starting to settle now that he had a clear plan, a destination, instead of the unsure worry that had been building in his head as he got closer and closer to the holiday.

He couldn’t really seem to puzzle out why this gift was such a big deal this year.  Last year he had gotten Magnus a book, like he had given to everyone else, just as he always did.  But when he started to think about this year, something in his chest would tighten up. 

Magnus had done so much for him, taking him in, giving him place to call home.  Magnus took care of the things that Angus was used to worrying about all on his own, gave him the opportunity to just be a normal eleven year old. 

How could any gift compare to that? 

\--- -- - -- ---

Taako’s house rested on the edge of hill, just outside of Neverwinter.  Close enough to the city, but still private, Magnus built it during the year of rebuilding and had made sure it had an enormous kitchen.  

Filled with all the books and gadgets and spice racks that a cook could want, it was a beautiful and exquisite, just like Taako.  But Lup practically lived here too and had quickly added her own marks to the space.  From the burnt patch of ceiling above the stove to the bright, chipped teacups scattered among the fine-stemmed wine glasses, she had made it just as much hers as it was Taako’s, which of course, only made him love it that much more. 

Angus knew all this without anyone needing to say a word.  He was the world’s greatest detective after all, and it was clear in the way that Taako smiled at Lup, perched on the counter, flipping through the cookbook in her lap, with flour already in her hair. 

“Okay,” Taako said, handing him an apron that was much too long for his height, “What sounds better: deep-fried pizza or a super-chocolate cake?  Magnus goes crazy over them both, and I doubt he’s found another chef that makes them.”

“What’s a super-chocolate cake?” Angus asked, pulling up a chair to stand on, so he would be level with the counter. 

“Oh, you haven’t lived until you’ve had super-chocolate cake.” Lup said, setting aside the book and knocking her heels against the lower cabinets.  “Magnus used to insist that we made it every time we found a world with chocolate, but I doubt he’s had it in years.”

“Let’s do that then.” Angus said, putting both his hands on the counter, “Where do we start?”

“That’s the spirit.” Lup said, hoping off the counter and reaching into a cabinet for a jar of coco powder. 

It turns out that super-chocolate cake was quite a production to make; it just kept getting more and more complicated. 

Taako and Lup obvious knew what they were doing, moving around the kitchen effortlessly.  Angus did everything they told him to, mixing this, kneading that, frosting something else.  He made sure he did everything exactly the way that the twins showed him, every movement precise and as close to perfect as he could make it. 

His attention to detail slowed him down though, and at one point Lup looked over to see him still shaving chocolate over the second tier.  Angus could feel her eyes on him for a minute, before she moved. 

Putting down her bowl of batter, Lup leaned against the counter so that she was more at his level. 

“So Ango,” She started, “How’s living with Maggie going?”

Angus stopped, blinking at the cake then up at Lup, who was patiently watching him.  He opened his mouth for a moment, thinking, before he said, “It’s very nice.”

Taako snorted from his spot by the stove, where he was melting white chocolate, but Lup just shook her head, “Ignore him.  He’s just jealous.”

Angus’s brows furrowed a little. “What could you be jealous of me for?”

“Well,” Lup started making designs in some spilled flour with her finger, “We never really got to have a cool dad like Maggie—”

Angus made a noise, starting Lup into silence; he stared between the twins, wide-eyed.  Not only had he never heard them talk about their childhood before, he had not, until right now, thought that he had a _dad_.

His grandfather used to visit, until he got too old and Angus got too busy with his detective work.   Before that, there were only vague memories of big hands and the smell of peppermint, then a school for other kids with nowhere else to go.  He had gotten out of there as soon as he could, thanks to his quick thinking and mature nature. 

He had managed, much later, to track down his parents, but didn’t have the heart to actually knock on the door.  Why had they left him?  What was it that they hadn’t liked?  What had he done wrong?

Facing those questions had seemed impossible, so he had just turned around and kept walking until he couldn’t even see the door anymore. 

Then, he had gone to visit his grandfather, who hadn’t been doing well, with the set of silverware and nothing had really been the same since. 

His chest tightened, like a coil curling around his heart.  No wonder he was having so much trouble finding a good-enough present—he had a _dad_ now.  Heat prickled at the back of his eyes, and he hastily tried to blink the building tears away. 

“Oh, Angus—” Lup said, quickly coming around the counter and wrapping him in a hug, “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Angus let himself rest in the warmth of Lup’s arms, taking a few deep breaths to try to steady his sudden shaking. 

“It was a long time ago; you don’t have to worry about us.” Taako said, putting an uncertain hand on Angus’s shoulder. 

Moving his head back and forth a little, Angus pulled back and scrubbed at his eyes again.  “I’m fine—I just—I haven’t really had a dad either.  For a long time anyway.”  He shrugged and kept rubbing at his eyes, as he could feel the tears continuing to build.

Now it was Lup and Taako blinking at him, their perfectly sculpted brows coming together in concern.  Lup brought him into another hug, a tighter one this time with her chin resting lightly on his hair. 

“I’m so sorry.” She said, rubbing small circles in his back.  She waited and kept rubbing his back until his breathing had really evened out.  “No one deserves to go through that.”  Finally pulling back a little, she kept him at arm’s length as she looked into his face.  “Anytime you want to talk about it, we’re always here.” She looked to Taako, who nodded, his hand still hovering near Angus’s shoulder. 

Angus bit his lip.  The tightness in his chest had been shaken out by the crying, and now he mostly felt just a little winded.  He nodded at Lup.  “Thank you.”

“And hey,” Taako said, ruffling his hair a little, “Now you’ve got Magnus and all those dogs, and us, and Krav, and Merle and Davenport, and everyone else—”  Angus looked up at him, and he smiled one of his soft smiles, the rarest kind from Taako, “You’ve got a huge family now my dude.”

As Taako and Lup kept watching him, and his brain kept running over the thought, it slowly became more solid.  He had a _family._  

Something new was welling up in him now, and he felt a smile pulling at his face. 

Lup must have seen what was going through his head, because she was now smiling too, all toothy and happy.  Ruffling Angus’s hair one more time, Taako went back around the counter to what he had been working on. 

Lup watched him go, her eyes alive, and then got in closer to Angus to whisper, “He’s just trying to hide how happy it makes him too.” 

A giggle bubbled up in Angus, and now Lup was laughing too.  Taako turned to them, one hand on his hip.

“Are you laughing at me?”

“Yes.” Lup said, before turned back to Angus.  With one more squeeze of his shoulders and one more look, she stood up and went back to her own spot.

Angus wiped away the last remnants of his tears, and went to pick up the chocolate again. 

_He had a family._

Just the thought of it made him giddy.  By the time the cake was done, he was practically jumping up and down on his chair. 

“Y’know,” Taako said, leaning back and admiring the tower of chocolate that they had made, “It’s at times like these that I truly remember my own brilliance.”

Lup snorted and shoved him a little, but he was ready for it and only swayed a little, making Angus giggle. 

A ripping sound from the hall made them turn, just as Kravitz stepped in, his arms filled with gifts and his hair dusted with snow.  “It’s starting to snow in—”

“Happy Candlenights!” Angus shouted, as he jumped down from his chair and ran over to help Kravitz with his bags. 

“Oh,” Startled, Kravitz let the presents get carried away, “Thank you Angus.”

As Angus arranged the bags around the Candlenights shrub, Taako stepped over to Kravitz.  Brushing some of the snow from his hair, Taako leaned up and gave Kravitz a quick kiss.  They both beamed a little, making Lup snicker. 

“You guys are way too cute.  It’s unhealthy.”

“You just can’t handle how perfect we are.” Taako said, looking over his shoulder at her. 

There was a knock on the door, and Taako finally pulled away.  The knock was, of course, only a warning before Mookie came roaring through the door. 

“Are the dogs here?  Can I light something on fire yet?  Look at the lights—” Stopping dead in his tracks, Mookie stared at the cake, his eyes growing wider with each second.  Pointing at it with a kind of reverential awe, he asked, “What’s that?”

“My god Pan,” Merle said, walking in with Mavis and some unevenly wrapped lumps that were presumably presents, “It’s the super-chocolate cake.”

“Angus made it for Magnus, so you can’t say anything.” Lup said, picking up the cake and sliding it into a safe hiding spot in the fridge. 

“Taako and Lup really made it, I just helped.” Angus said, trying to shrug off the gaze of everyone else in the room. 

“Well either way,” Merle said, dropping his stack of gifts next to the growing pile, “Thank you Angnes.”

Angus blushed a little, glad when there was another knock at the door.  Again, it was barely a warning, before the door was thrown open and Johann the Scottish Deer Hound came bounding in, running up to Angus first and almost knocking him over. 

“Happy Candlenights!” Magnus was wearing a bright sweater, and had armfuls of food and gifts.  His fingernails were painted in all the colors of Candlenights, and his hair was wild from the wind that had picked up outside. 

Beaming, he didn’t even stop to take off his boots, but came rushing into the main room to put all of his gifts next to the shrub.  He then handed off a lop-sided fruitcake to Taako.  “For you,” He said, then turned to give Kravitz a hearty clap on the arm, “Thanks for hosting.”

“It’s nothing.” Kravitz said, stumbling to catch his balance, as Magnus was already moving on to catch Mavis in a big hug. 

“You’ve gotten so big,” he said when he dropped her back to the ground, “You’re gonna be taller than your old man soon.”

Mavis smiled, even as Merle yelled “Hey!” from his spot by the snack table. 

Next, Magnus turned to Angus, who felt the warm energy that had been growing in his chest all day reach a new level. 

“Magnus—” He started, beaming up at the familiar face, when the excitement of the day suddenly became too much, and his words caught in his throat. 

“Yeah Ango?”

Before he could reply there was another knock, and this one was followed by an actual moment of pause before it was pushed open, revealing Lucretia. 

She came into the room with everyone else, lighting up at the sight of Johann, who leapt over to greet her. 

Magnus smiled at them, obviously itching to go give Lucretia a hug too, but didn’t move, turning back to Angus quickly as he waited for him to finish saying what he wanted. 

“I’m—just excited to give you your gift.” Angus finished, ignoring everything else he was to say for the time being.

Grinning, Magnus nodded, the corner of his eyes getting all crinkly.  “Me too, Ango.  I really hope you’re going to like it.”

Angus just smiled, and after a moment, Magnus turned away to wrap up Lucretia in another hug has she laughed. 

Over the next hour or so, Carey and Killian arrived with adorable matching sweaters and a bottle of mead, then Barry, who apologized over and over for being late, despite the fact that Davenport was the last to get there, his need for order waning a little after the months of seafaring and relaxing. 

Once everyone arrived, Taako began laying out the dinner he had worked on while Lup and Angus had put finishing touches on the cake. 

They all took up a spot around the dining room table, with people on every seat and stool, and the room was soon warm with energy and laughter. 

Dinner was as big a production as ever.  

Carey and Magnus exchanged stories at a volume that was wholly unnecessary, while Taako got upset at the amount of food Lucretia was feeding to Johann under the table, and Barry accidentally spilled gravy on his new, and oh so plain, white shirt.  Davenport and Merle cracked jokes that made everyone groan, Lup almost set her napkin on fire, and Kravitz just tried, to no avail, to have a nice, quiet conversation with Mavis. 

Angus took all this in with a blinding grin. 

_His family._

When dinner finally started to wind down, an expectant energy came over everyone, as they waited for Taako to reveal whatever his great desert was this year. 

But instead of the usual fanfare, Taako just exchanged a glance with Lup, who stood up without a word, then looked to Angus. 

All eyes suddenly on him, Angus sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat.  “I wanted to get something special this year for Mag—” he looked around a little, his eyes flashing across all the faces, “For my dad.”

There was a sound next to him, and Angus turned see Magnus watching him with a surprised, soft look. 

“And my whole family.” He continued, gesturing to the table at large.  “So this is for you.”

“Ta-da.” Lup said, hefting the cake a little, and everyone turned. 

Magnus made another excited sound, a high-pitched instinctual one, while everyone else reacted on some other level of surprise. 

“It’s been so long.” Barry said, as Lup put the cake in the middle of the table.

“You can say that again.” Merle added, already holding his fork in preparation. 

Magnus, the one person Angus was really watching, simply turned to him and wrapped him in an enormous, bear hug.  “Thank you Angus.”  When he pulled back, there were tears in the corner of his eyes.  Lup was beginning to divide up pieces and handing them around, but Magnus didn’t seem to care—he just kept looking at Angus with a brilliant smile.  “Exactly what I always wanted.”

There were warm, happy tears starting to gather in the back of Angus’s eyes too, and he didn’t try to blink them away this time. 

“Me too.” He said, his voice wavering a little with emotion.  They hugged again, Angus wrapping his arms around Magnus’s neck. 

Across from them, there was a shuffling noise, and they both turned to see Taako carefully using a napkin to dab at his eyes and keep his mascara from running. 

Realizing that he had inadvertently gotten everyone’s attention, Taako froze for a second, before shrugging and batting away a stay hair.  “What?  I’m not a goddamn robot.” 

Magnus chuckled at that, and whipped at his own damp cheeks with the palm of his hand, “You had me fooled.  No living person can get their nails that perfect.”

Lup patted Magnus on the back and gave him a sympathetic look, “He made a spell for that a long time ago.”

Ripples of chuckling, and some sniffling, continued through the room, broken finally by Mookie loudly asking, “Can we eat it now?”

“That’s my kind of thinking,” Lup said, pointing across the table and Mookie, “Go for it, my dude.”

The cake was as just as incredible as it looked, but very, very rich.  By the time everyone was done, eating much more than they probably should have, a contented lull had fallen over the party. 

There were still presents though, a fact Mookie made sure no one would forget, so they were soon all piling into Taako’s living room.  Johann curled up beside Lucretia near the fire, Carey and Killian squished together in one big armchair, and Mavis began dozing off against Merle’s arm.  

Angus took up a spot between Lup and Magnus, practically falling into the cushions on the couch. 

“Happy Candlenights bud.” Magnus said, echoed by Lup on his other side. 

“You too.”  He said, looking between them.  As they smiled and laughed at one of Merle’s jokes, the words from before echoed through his head again, and Angus felt something important settle in his chest.  

_This was his family._

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading and happy holidays!!


End file.
